Seems Porsche are set to leave LMP1 as well. Probably not a coincidence that they're embroiled in yet another diesel emissions scandal. Diesels should just be banned outright and existing vehicles should be scrapped.

Nevertheless, I'm sure Toyota (if they're still around) will find some way to balls up Le Mans next year too.

Seems Porsche are set to leave LMP1 as well. Probably not a coincidence that they're embroiled in yet another diesel emissions scandal. Diesels should just be banned outright and existing vehicles should be scrapped.

Nevertheless, I'm sure Toyota (if they're still around) will find some way to balls up Le Mans next year too.

Porsche still planning Le-Mans 2018. Plus, there are 2 manufacturers coming in next year i believe. Problem over the years, is the ACO/FIA loved having Porsche, Audi and Toyota. But with their multi million spending on the hybrids, that has pretty much made it unaffordable for any small team/manufacturer to enter and be competitive. Now, i think this will attract smaller manufacturers, and be bit like what we had early 2000s.

Things all have life cycles, and think this for now has been the big manufacturers time. Toyota, may stay next year. Or will commit long term and wait for Peugeot in 2020.

Hisatake Murata has become the new Team President of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (WEC) and President of TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) with immediate effect.

Murata has been responsible for TOYOTA’s hybrid powertrain development in motorsport from the very first racing hybrid in 2006, and he has overseen the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) project since the team’s 2012 entry.

He takes over from Toshio Sato, who held the position since April 2015 and has now been reassigned to a key role within the Power Train Company of TOYOTA Motor Corporation.

Murata will bring his extensive motorsport experience to TMG, having previously worked on TOYOTA’s Champ Car and Group C Le Mans projects, whilst recently holding responsibility for the company’s successful Super GT and Super Formula programmes.

As well as retaining responsibility for the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WEC project, Murata will now additionally be responsible for TMG’s other activities, which include R&D projects for TOYOTA Motor Corporation, third party services and customer motorsport.

Working in close cooperation with Murata at TMG will be Rob Leupen, Managing Director and Vice President Business Operations and Pascal Vasselon as Vice President Technical Engineering.

Hisatake Murata: “I am proud to take this new role at TMG. Since the beginning of our hybrid LMP1 project, I have built up a strong relationship with TMG members so I am looking forward to working together even more closely as we push to succeed in all areas. I would like to sincerely thank Sato for his leadership of TMG since 2015 and wish him all the best in his new position.”

Toshio Sato: “I want to thank everyone in the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team and at TMG for their hard work and dedication during the last three seasons. It has been a pleasure to be part of both organisations and I am proud of the improvement we achieved together after a difficult 2015 season. I am starting a new chapter in my career within the Power Train Company but I will always support TMG and the team. Murata has my full support and I wish him a successful time at TMG.”

Nico Lapierre secured the second pole position of the year for the no21 Dragonspeed Oreca-Gibson with the French driver leading an Oreca 1-2-3 at the French manufacturers home track, with three French drivers at the wheel of each car.

Lapierre posted a 1m52.761 lap on his first flying lap which was never beaten for the rest of the 10-minute qualifying session despite a strong challenge from Leo Roussel in the Dragonspeed run no22 G-Drive Racing Oreca.

At the chequered flag Lapierre was 0.145s ahead of Roussel and 0.290s ahead of Enzo Guibbert in the no39 Graff Oreca-Gibson.

The no27 SMP Racing Dallara of Matevos Isaakyan was fourth fastest, the Russian posting a 1m53.194 lap, three tenths ahead of the first of the Ligiers, the no32 United Autosports JSP217 in the hands of Filipe Albuquerque.

Ross Kaiser took the no6 360 Racing Ligier to the LMP3 pole position at Le Castellet, taking control of the class and then securing pole with a 2m02.186 in the second half of qualifying. Kaiser’s lap was 0.285s ahead of fellow British driver Alex Kapadia in the no15 RLR MSport Ligier and means there have been four different cars on pole position this season.

Kapadia had held the provisional pole early in the session but couldn’t quite make it after Kaiser had posted two very quick laps.

The third car in the mix for the pole position was the no18 M.Racing YMR Ligier of Alexandre Cougnaud, the French driver finishing the session in third place 0.4 seconds behind the pole position holder at the end of the 10 minute session.

Matt Griffin secured the second LMGTE pole position of the season for the no55 Spirit of Race Ferrari F488 after the Irishman put in two quick laps, with the best lap of 2m04.202 good enough to claim pole by 0.37 seconds ahead of Matteo Cairoli’s no77 Proton Competition Porsche 911.

A championship beginning and ending with 24 hour races actually sounds quite exciting. Even if it was just Toyota in LMP1, I'd still watch.

Well, im the way other way. I dont like it being the end of the season. Shame Silverstone, has been dropped, but have been informed FIA are seeing the backlash of Silverstone, and said that it will be added again in very near future. So, i be going Spa possibly or Le-Mans.

Mexico City, 2 September 2017 – Ferrari is again out alone on top of the Constructors’ rankings thanks entirely to Davide Rigon and Sam Bird whose two phenomenal laps won a surprise second pole position, and the relative point, of the season to add to the one at Spa-Francorchamps. In the 6 Hours of Mexico, which will start Sunday at 12 pm local time (7 pm CET), the 488 GTE no. 71 of AF Corse will start in front of the Aston Martin of Nicki Thiim and Marco Sorensen. Car no. 51 of James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi will set off in seventh after an imperfect qualifying, while in the GTE-Am class the two Ferraris will be fourth and fifth with car no. 61 of Clearwater Racing in front of the no. 54 of Spirit of Race.

GTE-Pro. In GTE-Pro class Davide Rigon started the session in no. 71 and James Calado in no. 51. Davide stopped the clock at 1:39:855 on the first pass improving at 1:39:688 on the second. At that point, Sam Bird took the wheel and fully exploited the car’s potential with an excellent 1:39:162, which no one else could match bringing the average time to 1’39”425. In car no. 51, James Calado immediately recorded 1:40:117 and failed to improve after overshooting in the first part of the following lap. The Welsh driver returned to the pits and handed the 488 GTE to Alessandro Pier Guidi who, on his first attempt, also went wide and saw the lap cancelled. He then produced two almost identical times, the best of which was 1:40:001. The combined time of 1:40”059 was enough for seventh place.

GTE-Am. In the GTE-Am class, the Ferrari 488 GTE no. 61 of Clearwater Racing came fourth in 1:43:296 thanks to Weng Sun Mok’s 1:45:348 and Matt Griffin’s 1:41:245. Francesco Castellacci and Thomas Flohr recorded the fifth best time with 1:44:540 for the Italian and 1:44:756 for Flohr. The class pole went to the Porsche of Dienst-Cairoli-Ried in 1:42:056. The Porsche of Hartley-Bernhard-Bamber took overall pole in 1:24:562, a new track record.